The Tragic Mate

The Ghost

Seth spent the next few days intermittently walking the same trodden path, thinking over the same miserable memories. His mind seemed to be looking for changes in the narrative, places where his actions changed but of course they didn't. The days were filled with walking for a few miles then pausing and just staring mindlessly at the Scottish highlands' unwavering beauty. He didn't see the changes in the weather; the soaring birds of prey swooping down to snatch its meals; the tips of the distant mountain tops reveal themselves from the clouds to be kissed by the first rays of sunlight; the deer ranging the land around him. He didn't hear the vivacious sounds of life all around him as his emotionally broken body existed amongst it all.

There seemed to be no signs of any change in Seth whatsoever. To any observer who knew him, he seemed different, off, certainly not happy, but functioning well enough. As the days rolled on, his absence was noted and in an effort to check up on him, various members of the family could be found walking the hills above Seth's cottage. Sometimes they came across him, other times they left disappointed, but since Mystery's visit, he had tidied up and everything appeared on the surface to be fine.

Mystery and Drew knew better but it was Mystery who took the initiative.

A week after her last visit, he awoke to find a note on his kitchen table, sitting next to a tray of delicious smelling cinammon and cream cheese buns. His eyes pinched together. He knew that smell and he knew who'd been in his kitchen. This was a low blow. Mystery couldn't have really been this cunning. He would never have thought to accuse her of this level of sneaky behaviour, but he knew it was her behind it! He picked one of the buns up and took a bite. As the food melted on him mouth he picked up the card.

'Dearest Seth,

We are having a family gathering on Sunday at 2pm. It has been an unprecendented time of turbelence and a time for our

loss has been observed. Your presence will be required at the head of the 'family' table in order for us to now call in a new era of hope and life. Please be there Seth. We all need this.

Mystery xxx

P.S. If you even think about not coming, I will try out one of my new hexes on you as well as send over Mrs B with a basket of goodies every single morning!'

Yep, Mystery had actually stooped so low as to turn Mrs B on him. Despite his slight horror at this duplicitous action, it elicited a small chuckle from him and he realised that he felt a slight sense of pleasure. He sighed as the emotion puffed out of life again, but if there was one thing that he knew beyond a doubt and that was he would do anything for Mystery and those babies. He might as well give in straight away. He knew that Mystery was organising him, making decisions for him, but he had far too little energy to do much about it and he certainly couldn't deal with Mrs B. She was a vicious old hag and he just couldn't face dealing with her every morning, so he messaged Mystery and confirmed his attendance. She messaged immediately back!

'Great. You'll need a speech. I'll sort everything else! Love you. xx'

Speech? What the hell? What was she doing to him? He knew better than to ask. One of the things that he had come to learn about Mystery was that she really was an amazing woman, but she never forgot! Ever since he had first witnessed her coming out of the loch naked and foolishly treated her like a feeble woman, she had paid him back over and over again for his unwise behaviour. She was the sweetest, kindest, most loving woman, but it was never a good thing to cross her. This pack was never in any danger with her around.

He marched out onto the patio with a cup of lavendar and honey tea. He fully expected it to be the most disgusting concoction but he should have know better. The honey was gingery and creamy, completly complementing the lavendar. It invigorated him and actually seemed to help his mind work through the gist of what he was planning to put into his speech. By the time that he had finished his tea, he felt that he had put on a good armour - in the form of the speech for Sunday - and was in a new frame of mind as he proceeded up the path towards his daily walk. Only, today he found it difficult to let himself wallow in the violent and depressing memories of the past. Damn Mystery! She had successfully distracted him.

The distraction lasted for the remainder of the daylight hours but as evening sank in, taking the light of the day with it, Seth's mood lowered into dark memories. He felt himself fall back into his younger years and sighed into his armchair letting his eyes shut. Being with her in his mind was an addiction that he had fallen fast into. He greedily allowed it to suck him under, his mouth watering at the bittersweet memory of his lips colliding with hers for the first time.....

'Pssst!' Seth strained forwards as he craned around the corner of the building. She immediately went rigid, her head raised into the air as she was assaulted by his scent. Furtively, she checked either side of her to make sure that she could slip sideways without anyone who knew her seeing what she was doing. Angling to one side she shuffled backwards until she was close enough for Seth to grab by the arm. Instead of jumping in shock when he grabbed her, she melted into him, allowing his body to swallow her whole as he pulled around the side of the building. As soon as they were hidden from view, she whirled in his arms at the same time as Seth turned them both so that her back was against the wall.

She looked up at him with wide hazel eyes. Her lips were slightly parted and her chest was heaving. What a chest it was too! She didn't have huge breasts but they were beautifully rounded. From his current vantange point, as they heaved up and down with the excitement coursing through both of them, her n*****s strained hard against her thin jumper. When his eyes travelled back up to her race, she wore a smug expression as she glanced in the direction that his eyes had just left. He blushed, but his eyes remained locked with hers.

"Mate!" She growled out, seeming to surprise herself. As soon as the utterance was made, her eyes lowered, a look of shame entering them.

"Yes, mate!" He growled back, placing a finger under her chin and raising her gaze back to his. "We belong to each other. You are mine and I am yours!" He held her gaze, fascinated to watch her eyes darken again to a midnight blue. "Your wolf is strong." He whispered.

"My wolf is dangerous." She warned and her gaze fell again.

Instinctively, he pulled her head back up and brought her lips level to his. "Dangerous enough that she will hurt me if I kiss you?" and took her lips with his. As soon as they touched, the connection hit them, gluing them to each other as it washed over their whole body. As they came up for air, they stared at each other, stunned and panting as if they had been through a battle. Both trembled with passion and exertion, neither able to disconnect from the other physically. It was as if they were charging each others' bodies.

Seth ran his fingers through her hair, down the nape of her neck, across her collar bone and lightly down the front of her breasts. His hand fell to her hips and stayed there as he bowed his forehead against hers. Both shut their eyes and stilled against each other. They felt each other's energy flow through them both, connected at a unique frequency that bonded them to one another.

"No matter what," Seth whispered, "We will always be one. Nobody can take that away from us. Nobody."

*********

Opening his eyes, Seth momentarily reflected on that thought. Indeed, nobody could ever take away that moment, its life-changing effects, the bonds it created or the effects of those bonds when everyone tried to take them away!